Unit and method of ice producing and harvesting



Jam 2, 1951 G. l.. PowNALL 2,536,217

UNIT AND METHOD OF ICE PRODUCING AND HARVESTING Filed Sept. 7, 1944 5 Sheets-ShamJ l Qg INVENTOR,

f@ j BY eofye Paw/Zal! @fw/w@ Jan. 2, 1951 G. L. POWNALL UNIT AND METHOD OF ICE PRODUCING AND HARVESTING Filed sept. '7, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 2, 1951 G.- l.. POWNALL 2,536,21 7 UNIT AND METHOD 0F ICE PRODUCING AND HARVESTING 5 Sheets-Sheerl 5 Filed Sept. 7, 1944 Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNIT AND METHOD OF ICE PRODUCING AND HARVESTIN G George L. Pownall, London, Ohio Application September 7, 1944, Serial No. 553,036

(Cl. (i2-172) Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved method and means of making commercial ice in ice cans and has for an object method and means for the speedier freezing of heavyweight or commercial sizes of ice blocks.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved freezing can structure which is adaptable to existing can spaces in commercial ice plants but which permits the more frequent harvesting of ice blocks having the over all di mension of the present day commercial sized block so that the handling and harvesting operations may proceed with equal convenience, utilizing the essential handling equipment in existing commercial ice plants.

Another object of the invention is to provid a method and means for commercially producing greater ice tonage in a lesser amount of freezing tank space.

A further object of the invention is to attain an increased Speed of freezing oi commercial sized ice blocks by utilizing a novel direction of freezing, namely, upwardly and diagonally outwardly from a point measurably below the top of the can in addition to the usual directions of freezing from the side, end walls and bottom of the can.

Another object of the invention is to provide a method and means embodying the aforesaid advantages and which may be used to produce either opaque or transparent ice. Another object of the invention is to provide a method and means for accomplishing the foregoing objects by the use of either removable or stationary type Cans.

A still further object of the invention is to provide ice can equipment for freezing ice in commercial ice plants with a notable saving in the required freezing equipment for new plants or with a considerable saving and a reduction of the load carried by existing ice plants in order to produce a given quantity of ice.

Still another and important object is to produce in a commercial ice plant, an ice block that, upon processing into sized ice, will result in a lesser amount of the less protable snow or fine ice.

Another ojbect is to provide commercial ice cans embodying the foregoing advantages and especially adapted for producing an unitary composite mass of easily separable ice cubesof selected shape according to the mold employed.

A further object of the invention is to provide an ice block of the same over all dimensions as the commonly known commercial sized ice block and which is handled in the sa-me manner with a somewhat lesser hazard against tipping over ywhen sliding on the long narrow side thereof, than with present day ice blocks.

These and other important objects are attained by the method and means herein described and exemplied in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of ice can embodying the invention, part being broken away. l

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View of a mult-slab ice block unit as produced by the can of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a modiiied form of commercial size ice can embodying the invention, part being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a commercial size ice block as produced by the can of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a double utility hollow drop rod structure for use in connection with cans that are in a grid or where the stationary type of can icel plant and in those plants in which the so-called can dogs are not used.

Fig. 6 is a perspective View showing a removable cross bar and, in separated relation, one of its tubular drop rods.

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of still another form of can embodying the invention and adapted for use in the production of a composite multi-slab unit of ice of commercial can size.

. Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 8-8 of Fig. '7,Y part being broken away, and a table ice forming mold being shown in position therein.

Fig. 9 is a fragmental vertical cross-section through the can of Fig. 7 withV table ice'mold members in position therein.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a Weight clip for use with theV mold as shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 1l is a top plan view of a stationary type ice can of the invention.

Fig. l2 is a fragmental vertical section of the stationary type ice can embodying the invention.

Fig. 13 is a fragmental cross-sectional elevational view of a stationary can type of ice freez ing tank which includes both the conventional stationary can and several modified forms of the present invention in one installation.

Fig. 14 is a schematic side elevational View showing the co-related elements at the harvesting side of a loose can ice plant.

Fig. 15 is a vertical sectional View showing a pair of narrow independent "ice cans with a spacer and drop rod structurefor holding the 3 cans and for retaining the frozen slab contents of the cans in parallel relation during harvesting and handling.

Fig, 16 is a fragmental side elevational view of an insertable mold for producing ice cylinders in the cans of the invention.

Fig. 17 is a fragmental side elevational view of a cube molding slab for use with the cans of the invention.A

In this country it is practically universal practice to construct the ice freezing tank spaces of commercial ice plants to accommodate ice cans that are about ll inches in width for. the production of either the familiar 300 pound or 400 `pvouri d size ice block. In order to produce a given tonage of ice, much tank space, large numbers of ice cans and many hours of time are required for freezing these standard sized blocks. Aslan example, it is well established that it requires rl2 hours to freeze a 300 pound block of ice in the standard can utilizing a brine temperature of la F. in the ice freezing tank andV with a rapidy flow rate of the brine past the c3115.- It is well known that the introduction ofv air under pressure into the water filled cans serves to` segregate the suspended matter'. in the water for the production of` clear transparent ice blocks. When the freezing has progressed suiciently to establish a sediment containing water core in the block, this core water. may b eremoved or replaced with distilled water or with ordinary tap water depending upon the grade of ice block to be produced'. On completion of the freezing of this filled core space, the ice cans of the removable type are withdrawn singly or in grid supported groups and then submerged in a thawing water bath to free the ice bond where upon the cans are introduced into the so-called ice dump where the cans, supported on the. narrow side,'are tilted to allow the ice blocks to` slide out of them edge- Wise onto and along a chute into a refrigerated storage room where the blocks are usually7 up.- ended to stand on their bottoms until removed for sale in block form or for processing into small ice.

Inv the, preparation of such small ice, the blocks are fed to a crusher where. small ice. pieces of many different sizes areproduced and in addition thereto a relativelyv large quantity of socalled snow or fine ice which is usually either wasted or sold at a low price. More recently the ice pieces` have been graded for size and the snow ice is, in some markets, considered a total loss. f

Byk the method of the' presenti invention the freezing can units are made up of two orY more thin cans in slightly spaced relation and'banded together at the top sol that Ythe unit occupies one of the existing can spaces in the freezing tank just as the single large block can of `commerce occupies such a space. The water in the two or more thin compartments freezes much lmore quickly than in a single can of the. aggregate thickness of all 'of theseth'iny compartments.

It is the essence of the present invention to extend the respective compartments to a distance below the top of the ice can unit so` that the can may be filled above the thin'compartments and thus produce atop ice cap which is integral with the spaced apart slabs. vSuch limprovedV ice blocks may be handled with conventionaly equipment in the same fashion as a solid block of ice. While the weight of such a block is slightly less than a standard solidblock of ice, the time vrequired for freezingit would be approximatelyonly oneeig'hth (l) of the time required for freezingthe standard solid block in the same brine tank under the same conditions. The junction of the two thin compartments of the ice freezing can unit is well below the water level therein and below the level of the brine in the freezing tank and hence in addition to the customary freezing inwardly of the side, ends and bottom walls, there is an upwardly and diagonally outwardly directionv in which the freezing progresses from the top vjunction of the thin compartments. By taking advantage of the additional direction of freezing, the time factor is reduced and the ice cap or top joining piece is frozen as quickly as the thin slab portions joined by it. For practical purposes it is entirely satisfactory to provide the connecting ice cap in the approximate dimension of one-half (1/2) or more of the width of one( of the thin compartments.

Reference is now made to the drawings in which Fig. 2 shows theA Vimproved ice block unit of the invention having twol thin ice blocks ltr-I6 in closely spaced approximate parallelism and connected integrally at the top by an ice cap,V

il, the height or thickness of which is about one.: half (1X2) or slightly more than one-half (1/2) the thickness of the blocks i6. Forv certainY purposes the core water spaces indicated in dotted linesl at I8, may be left unfilled. The can unit i9v of Fig. 1 comprises a pair of outside walls 2U., a pair of end walls 2l and a thin rectangular Centerv member 22 comprising spaced apart side walls` 23 and.l a connecting topy wall 24.' The walls 2t have opposed slots 25, to the edges of which the walls 23. and 2li are. connected. The space above these slots provides. for the reception of water to form the ice cap il while the slot 25 constitutes a brine flow channel to permit freezing to progress from the brine, through exposed faces of the walls 23 inwardly and from the outside. walls 2li inwardly, as. well as upwardlyv from the bottom walls 2,6 of the thin compartments ofthe can unit. Freezing also occurs from the bottom of top Wall 24, upwardly to assure the solid freezing of the ice cap Il.

If desired, for one or more of the following purposes, the drop tube structure ofy Fig. 5 or 6 may be inserted in the water filled can.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a doubleV utility drop rod structure for use either in the stationary can system or in a so-calledgrid or group lift system, the cross bar 2'! being shouldered at opposite ends, as at 28, to rest upon the tops of walls 2B of they can unit I9 as used in a grid lift plant (see Fig. l) or to restv on the topsV of walls 'Il or 'i2 of stationary type can units'13' or 'I4 (see Fig. 13 wherein the stationary can unit is shown disproportionately wide and would in actuality be of the same width as the can' unit 14 of the present invention and the ordinary stationary can unit itil` YVFixedintov the cross bar 27 f-or denitely positioning relative to the respective compartments of the cans, are hollow tubes or rods 29 having one or more tapered shoulders intermediate their ends/and having hollow points attheir bottom.

In producing clear ice i-n a grid lift plant, air nozzle connections are made from existing sources to the open hollow tops 32 of the dropfrods by any suitable connectors (not shown). When the ice block is frozen to a nished condition, the air nozzles are disconnected and the group or grid of cans, is removed from the freezing tank by the existing crane mechanism and is carried to andY submerged in the warm waterbath in the so-called fdip-tank-ZV for thawingthe ice bond;

between the composite ice block and the can I9.` The drop rod structure 2'! remains frozen in the composite ice block during handling. When the ice bond is thawed, the group or grid of cans is lifted by the crane from the dip-tank and then placed into a commonly known ice can dump which turns the cans over at an angle so that the ice in the cans i9 will slide out of the cans onto a sloping chute. If the composite block is to be immediately submitted to a crushed, the cap end may be directed foremost down a steep inclined chute and against any suitable barrier which will cause the rods 29 to be driven into and to split each of the thin blocks in two. IThis shattering provides ice in a very thin form for the crusher and as is now understood in theart, these thin pieces of ice, when submitted to the action of an ice crusher will produce a relatively minimum quantity of the unprofitable or wasted snow ice.

In the case of the stationary can type ice plant, the drop rod structure just described may be used without air connections, and with the bottom ends sealed off because the structure does not serve as a means for admittingT agitating air to the water during freezing. In the stationary can plants, air connections are permane-ntlyfastened to the bottoms of the can units as for example asshown in Figs. l2 and 1S. In this type of plant when the ice is frozen to a nished condition,

warm brine is circulated around the cans and through each brine channel of the cans to thaw the ice bond between the composite ice block and the can walls. To release the ice bond at the bottom and also on other side walls of the unit that are not reached by the warm brine, a water spray is directed against such bottoms of the cans and also into the hollow interiors ofl the dividers, such as 55 in Fig. l2, and into the corresponding spaces 16 of Fig. 13. The action of the warm brine and warm water sprays releases the ice block from the can walls and bottom whereupon a crane connection is then made with ICS from the frozen `block while it is at rest in the.

ice dump by inserting a thawing water needle into the hollow tubes so as to release the lice bond between the composite ice block and the drop rod by means of warm water. Thereafter, the composite ice block may be permitted to slide onto a chute and into a refrigerated storage room for later disposition. In stationary can plants for example, as exemplified in Fig. 12, drop rod structure 58--69 may be utilized instead of the drop rod structure 27. From the foregoing it will be appreciated that tremendous savings in time, labor and money are effected throughoutthe process. The tonage of ice produced and the profit per ton of ice is increased.

Reference is now made to Fig. 6 which shows a modified form of drop tube structure to be used in those plants which employ can dogs forA handling the ice cans. In this form a cross bar 33 has notches 34 in one side thereof for the reception of the restricted portions 35;.ofremov---,

able droptubes 36. position the drop tubes during the production of clear opaque ice and may be laterallydisplaced and removed in order to expose the can dog holes in the can units, while the drop tubes remain in position to serve as means for shattering the respective slab elements in which they are inbedded.

Reference is now made to Figs 3 and 4 which show a modified form of can unit and finished ice block product thereof respectively. The ice can 31 of Fig. 3 differs essentially from the ice can of Fig. 1 in the provision of a hollow open topped core mold 38 having a width less than the width ofthe can 31 and extending from the top of the can downwardly to the top of the transverse brine iiow channel 39 which is thus closed off only by short transverse wall sections 40. The resulting ice block4l comprises a pair of spaced and substantially parallel ice slabs 42 connected in the vicinity of their top corners 43 but having an open slot 44 in the connecting top or ice cap portion 45. It will be understood that either of the drop tube structures of Fig. 5 or 6 may be employed in connection with. the aforementioned.-

can,.if desired.

Reference is now made to Figs. 7-9 inclusive. This modified form of multi-can unit, like the previously described units, is dimensioned to be accommodated in the conventional can spaces in existing ice freezing tanks. The purpose of this modified form of freezing unit is to provide either very thin slabs of ice for processing into sized ice with a minimum of resulting snow ice or, with the aid of grid or mold members to form a multiplicity of table ice portions which can be handled as a unit mass and then easily separated into the individual table ice portions. For such purposes, the can unit 43 has a pair of side walls 4! of full can height and a pair of end walls 48 which are uniformly slotted upwardly at 49 and connected by inverted U-shaped wall members 5i) to provide transverse brine now channels 5| separating the interior of the can thickness into three compartments, each of which are further divided into two compartments each by hollow transverse spacer walls 52, the sides of which form nonfreezing walls for adjacent sides of a pair of come partments, while the outside walls and the walls of the intermediate brine ow channels each pro` vide a freezing wall for one of the compartments. The free bottom ends of the walls 50 are supported against deformation by short strut memr` bers 53 (see Figs. 8 and 9).

In order to produce clear transparent ice, thin air bubbling tubes 54 may be affixed to the exposed faces of the hollow partitions 52 whichv thus disposes the air bubbling function against the non-freezing wall of each of the water compartments 55. It will be noted that the hollow partitions 52 have. open topped projections 56' which extend above the water level immediately adjacent the end walls of the can unit 46 and thus` assure the provision of an ice cap as indicated in dotted lines at 5l, connecting the top ends of the slabs-which are frozen in the respective thin compartments.

The can unit 46 is adapted to receive table ice' molds in the respective thin compartments. The direction of freezing with such inserted molds is from a freezing wall either on the outside of the can or on one of the brine now channels, through the apertures in the mold, to a non-freezing wall constituted by one side of the hollow air filledpartition and against which wall the air bubbling The member 33 serves to A-t the same time, the. freezing of the ice cap 51'. 5

progresses inwardly' from the: side. and end. Wallsv of thev` can. unit and upwardly and outwardly'from the bottom of the closed portion of the. brineflow channels. M'. Upon withdrawing the composite frozen. block, it. will. be. found that this. block` can 1'0- be handled. byv means. of existing; equipment. and traveled slidably on. the longitudinal; narrow edge- Thethawing water bath. employed to' release' the composite ice block. unit. enters: through the open topsv of'A the portions 5a ofthe hollow walls: and 15 this'. water is emptied. out when the; can. unit. is turned'. on. an. end wall for slidably discharging it'slfrozen content.

As a means. of providing' an especially." mer,-

chantable4 form of table.` ice, I.. have provided? col'.- 2q

lapsiblefanddestructiblezmoldi! made of notched` strips of" waxed cardboard after the fashion:` of thepaper eggcrate separators,` oneLof such..mo1ds 58. being. inserted. in. each` of' the thin compart-i ments after weightingv the. bottom edge thereof 25.

with one or more split lead weights 55.' (seezFigs'. 9ifandi10') to assure-seating. of the'. molds'- irrthe extreme bottomsrof the fthinfcompartments; Such' a. mold-'formsaa.connected sheet1of ice` cubes with' paperf-dividerscbetween them,.and the; individual. 30

slabs: of ice cubes' may,l be' readily. broken.. awayv fromv the ice capand further subdivided: iirt'he sale. anda'distributionthereofg. the thin': cardboarddividers being torninthe process.y The individual cubes are-.in-.a similar-fashion detached: for'use' 35' in the drinkingglass'.

Irl-Figs: 11 and-L12 there-isf shown a stationary type. icecan.. unit embodying ther invention'l in.. a'. mannerA closely comparable to' that as sh'owni: ini

Figs. 7:, 8 and 9.' The canunitB embodies'hollowt 40 non-freezing partitions. But with'. waterreceivingl thin; compartmentsl on'. either' side'Y thereof; and: each; of. such: water-receiving compartments'. has' one freezing wallL constituted eitherby al side '.wall. G'I ofacanor a side wall' 620i.' abrine flow' chan@ nelzmember- 63e The i ice-freezing; .thin.compartav ments .6 .lzthus iestablishedaresup plediiwith rwaten; tofbe-f'rozenthrough .asuitably fed'pipeB; having. branchk outlets.'v 66;. feeding.; tol the bottom" of; sev erallof-thefreezing compartments.

freezing process fisadmitted 'to the compartments ofthe cans;thrOughOnnectiOns 5.7:. The ,thaw-A ing water spray nozzles and?- connections. for

Semi/ine the@ cangbottomsg-.and''thefhollowspaces 55 6 ik are., omitted; since: the adetails. thereof i are @now Well 3 known? in; the;E art:I The drops rodfst'ructure comprising; a; cross-.,rbar; 6.8 andzholl'ow' tubesi. EB connected.' theret is '.arranged'f forf support.. over Eig. 12).'Y oncan/unitsf andvldseelii'g. l;3);. 'Bhe' cross; bar., maywbefnotched asY at:` Tfo1''the2-ree ception.; of: the crane lifting.. hookrwliereby: the' composite; ice; blockislifted:l bodily fromithefcarr circulated,Vv around; the: can units'.l and.: the waterspray system has been employed to release'th'eice bond: on` they inner andiibottom- Walls.: Thief releasedblochais.therrhandledfin'thevmannen-previe onslyadescribedz. Ther-thin conf-lpartmeritsrlifmay- 7() InzEis-g .13;-1 whiclrshowsta' stationarytcazrreeze 75' ing tankr embodying two rrroiiiii'catioiisv of the can units of. the invention in addition to a. conventional stationary' can, the' unit 'l3-` (shownf. int exe a'ggerated' width) has. the spray- Water' an'dl non.- freezing. spaces 16.' and. at brine channel 11,. where@ asv the'` can unit 'Hlv adjacent it has only'tlie brine flow channel T1. The' lifting drop rod structure- 21' ist shown frozen'v in the. finished icev block. in the can unit. T4. The. brine' level is indicated. in dotted lines at TS, while the level of the finished ice blockzis shown at l9'-l In Fig. 13 the ice can tank. preferably has'- as'L pl'ialti'e` insulation. at 80. and may carry the usual'- wooden'. frame members 81... The spray` water nozzles and their connections are omitted butlthe' air and llingy Water' connections'to the' bottoms of the cans. vare shown' (uniiumbere'd. and generi' ally corresponding to the showing' in' Fig'. .121)..

In the schematic showing" in' Fig.. 1'42 the ice' tank 82 has', the' customary' insulation 83.'y around' the side, ends. and bottom and. is adapted to receive, in the usual' fashion,.the loose cairunts 84, wherein the finished' level' of the ice in the cany is shown. at18'5. The brine' level: in. the tank' is'v showt in dctted'lines'at 85'.. The dip-tank 8TV is disposed alongside' the freezing tank and has one` of the can: units resting therein. and completely sub'-A zn'erged: below the' l'evel 88 of the' Wa-rm' water bath. The can' dump 8? isi-'shown in-t'iltedL po'si'-- tion: with' a can unit Elfi.l therein'. Ani ice block of the invention. 90' is shown o'n' suitably" supported i'ce'chut'e 91a ming. 15 there is shown au pair of." independent thin. ice'. cans 92'. with ice blocks frozen' therein'to" the dotted.` line level 9'? 'andi'- retained for' handling as a'. unit. by' a spacer bar' Silly with drop=rods 95 fixed'th'erein. and.v frozen into the ice.. This rod structure andbar'holds* the twonarrow'j ice' blocksto'gether after' they are thawed and' dumped; Withoutithe' aidof an ice cap-as.in'tle'fcaseoftlie' blocks'in Figs. Zand-4f.

Inl'ig-A 16 there?. is sho'wr a fragment of anE inseltabl'e Slab" mold 965 With' c'ylir'ldl'ica'l4 ice'nlbld'` ingr apertures' 9-1' therein.

InFi'g.. 1U there".isshownv fragme'tagllyf an iii-- sertable'f ice mold. slab 9B having. cubical mold apertures. 99' therein.. These moldsv may be ern-"-A ployed. inf. thin compartments ofl the` cansf ofthe invention to. provide table' ice' portions having`t 502I shapes' corresponding to-the mold apertures B esure.: ain-for. agitating. theV .watendurmgitlie What'isclaimedisz' 1f. Arr ice block comprising' a-A pluralityo'f' sub-A s'tantially parallel; wide thin-ice' yslabs;anintegral ice. cap portion: connecting' said slabs irii spaced relation' at'. one' end'A thereon table ice' molEimem"-Y bers disposed. in. eachof" the slabs and open topped'i and; closed bottomed dropY rods" frozen throughtle said'.capi-and into 'the tops of "the'rel spectivefslabs.

a Y as anew.' article of.' manufacture, a plurality:

off: spaced apart, wide.thinie'eslab each'fhaving-v destructible multiple moldimembers' throughouti and.ia-:commonr .ice Vcap connecting.' all-of 'said'slab's'i rods frozen into the slabs and a cross bar joining the rods exteriorly of the slabs.

4. An ice block comprising a plurality of wide thin ice slabs having adjacent major faces in spaced substantial parallelism, an integral solid cap portion extending across a common end of said slabs and connecting said slabs in spaced relation, a tubular open topped, closed bottomed drop rod frozen into each slab longitudinally thereof and projecting above said cap and a common connecting bar joining the drop rods exteriorly of said cap portion.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a plurality of substantially parallel, spaced wide, thin ice slabs, apertured mold members Within the confines of each slab, and a common connecting means for retaining said slabs as a slidable nontipping handling unit, said means comprising hollow, open-topped, and closed bottom drop rods frozen longitudinally of said slabs and a trans- 2 verse bar joining the rods exteriorly of the slabs.

GEQRGE L. POWNALL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

